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A run of directories will show changes in the name of a business, its address and activities, perhaps indicating when it was formed, the dissolution of a partnership or a bankruptcy, any of which may suggest a search in ''The London Gazette''. For many businesses, however, the directory entry will be its only surviving record. An advertisement in a directory may give more detail about the actual business carried on, sometimes even picturing the premises and examples of its products. The directory may have a separate index to these, usually in the prefatory material. | A run of directories will show changes in the name of a business, its address and activities, perhaps indicating when it was formed, the dissolution of a partnership or a bankruptcy, any of which may suggest a search in ''The London Gazette''. For many businesses, however, the directory entry will be its only surviving record. An advertisement in a directory may give more detail about the actual business carried on, sometimes even picturing the premises and examples of its products. The directory may have a separate index to these, usually in the prefatory material. | ||
Directories have been used extensively in the compilation of such works as Maurice Packer's ''Bookbinders of Victorian London 1837-1901'' (1991) (FHL book 942.1/L1 U2pm, BYU L. Tom Perry Special Collections book '''Z 270 .E5 P324x 1991g'''), Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert's ''Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840'' (1986) (FHL book 942 U26de, BYU | Directories have been used extensively in the compilation of such works as Maurice Packer's ''Bookbinders of Victorian London 1837-1901'' (1991) (FHL book 942.1/L1 U2pm, BYU L. Tom Perry Special Collections book '''Z 270 .E5 P324x 1991g'''), Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert's ''Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840'' (1986) (FHL book 942 U26de, BYU HBLL book '''NK 2528 .D54x 1986'''), and Michael Pritchard's ''A Directory of London Photographers 1841-1908'' (1994) (FHL book 942.1/L1 U2pd). Photographs that bear the name of a photographer may be dated from the lists of photographers in directories. Other items that bear tradesmen's marks or labels may be similarly dated. | ||
Before the compilation of the national computerised indexes to census returns, directories were collected in order to help identify households in the returns. Directories may still be used to check the name of the occupant of a particular address, or to assess the completeness or otherwise of the census entries in a named street. | Before the compilation of the national computerised indexes to census returns, directories were collected in order to help identify households in the returns. Directories may still be used to check the name of the occupant of a particular address, or to assess the completeness or otherwise of the census entries in a named street. | ||
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The involvement of Post Office officials from 1800 onwards led to more accurate directories. The copyrights of one official, Critchett, were obtained by another, Frederic Kelly, in 1836, and his ''Post Office Directory of London'' (the BYU Harold B Lee Library has online access to a number of his directories as well as the 1923 edition on Microform '''CS 43 .G46x LH18781'''), printed by his brother W. Kelly that year, began a lasting series. Stopped from using the services of Post Office officials in 1847, his firm tried unsuccessfully to establish an exclusive right to the title ''Post Office Directory'', but he still called all his volumes ''Post Office Directories'' and put the Royal Arms on their red covers. | The involvement of Post Office officials from 1800 onwards led to more accurate directories. The copyrights of one official, Critchett, were obtained by another, Frederic Kelly, in 1836, and his ''Post Office Directory of London'' (the BYU Harold B Lee Library has online access to a number of his directories as well as the 1923 edition on Microform '''CS 43 .G46x LH18781'''), printed by his brother W. Kelly that year, began a lasting series. Stopped from using the services of Post Office officials in 1847, his firm tried unsuccessfully to establish an exclusive right to the title ''Post Office Directory'', but he still called all his volumes ''Post Office Directories'' and put the Royal Arms on their red covers. | ||
Kelly's coverage in the London suburbs was not good. Pigot's 1838 and Watkins's 1852-4 directories were better, but they were forced out of business by Kelly. Coverage improved when the two-part Kelly's ''Post Office London Suburban Directories'' | Kelly's coverage in the London suburbs was not good. Pigot's 1838 and Watkins's 1852-4 directories were better, but they were forced out of business by Kelly. Coverage improved when the two-part Kelly's ''Post Office London Suburban Directories'' for the northern and southern suburbs began to appear in 1860 (The 1923 edition is available in BYU's Harold B Lee Library on microform '''CS 43 .G46x LH18781''''''.'''). At the same time the wonderfully detailed ''Buff Books'' for the various London districts started to appear, greatly expanding their coverage in the 1890s. Coverage of private residents in provincial directories was probably always better than in London itself. | ||
Lists of privatest Office London Suburban Directories addresses first appear in the ''Universal British Directory | Lists of privatest Office London Suburban Directories addresses first appear in the ''Universal British Directory ''(available online at BYU's Harold B Lee Library) for London in 1790, but are rarely found in provincial directories before the middle of the next century. The first London directory to consist entirely of private residents, Boyle's ''Court Guide'', came out in 1792. It survived until 1925 and with other similar guides provided extensive lists of residents by street, fuller than those in the ''Post Office Directory''. | ||
=== Official Directory === | === Official Directory === | ||
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Jane Elizabeth Norton, ''Guide to the National and Provincial Directories of England and Wales, excluding London, published before 1856 ''(Royal Historical Society, 1950) [FHL book 942 C4rg].<br>Gareth Shaw and Alison Tipper,''British Directories: a bibliography and guide to directories published in England and Wales (1850-1950) and Scotland (1773-1950)'' (Leicester University Press, 1989) [FHL book 942 E43s].<br>Ian Maxted, ''The British National Directories 1781-1819'' (Exeter, 1989) [not in FHL].<br>P.J. Atkins, ''The Directories of London 1677-1977 ''(New York, 1990) [FHL book 942.1/L1 E43a]. | Jane Elizabeth Norton, ''Guide to the National and Provincial Directories of England and Wales, excluding London, published before 1856 ''(Royal Historical Society, 1950) [FHL book 942 C4rg].<br>Gareth Shaw and Alison Tipper,''British Directories: a bibliography and guide to directories published in England and Wales (1850-1950) and Scotland (1773-1950)'' (Leicester University Press, 1989) [FHL book 942 E43s].<br>Ian Maxted, ''The British National Directories 1781-1819'' (Exeter, 1989) [not in FHL].<br>P.J. Atkins, ''The Directories of London 1677-1977 ''(New York, 1990) [FHL book 942.1/L1 E43a]. | ||
[Adapted from Anthony Camp's article 'The history and value of genealogical records: all about directories' in ''Practical Family History'' (UK), no. 60 (December 2002) pages 23-25].<br> | [Adapted from Anthony Camp's article 'The history and value of genealogical records: all about directories' in ''Practical Family History'' (UK), no. 60 (December 2002) pages 23-25].<br> | ||
{{Place|England}} | {{Place|England}} | ||
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